In 303 HE, the Siege of Aeropa City was fought on the Brink between the Aeropans under Duke Skyheed against the Sky Pirates under Captain Phoenix during the Aeropan-Sky Pirate War.
Why did it happen?
Aeropa was a city-state located on the Brink. Led by Duke Skyheed and Chancellor Ruskin, the Aeropans began a Dark Warrior Program in 300 HE to turn the tide of their war against the Metal Heads. However, when the commander of the Aeropan Air Forces, Phoenix, realised what was happening, he rebelled against the Aeropans and kidnapped its chief scientist, Tym, marooning him on Brink Island. By 303 HE, the Sky Pirates under Phoenix were in a state of constant war with the Aeropans and regularly patrolled the Brink, “robbing innocent travellers of their Eco supply and stranding them on the unfinished islands” (Birlew, 2009, p.4). Following the Siege of Far Drop, the Sky Pirates decided to counterattack and converged on the Aeropan Barracks, using the warp gate there to initiate a surprise attack upon Aeropa City.
Who was involved?
The Aeropan army at Aeropa City numbered 1,500 Commandos, 1 Ethereal Sub-Commander, 1 Hyper Mutant, and 3 Airships. Due to committing most of its army and navy to the Siege of Far Drop, only a small portion of the Aeropan forces were present at the defence of Aeropa City. Because of this, the Aeropan plan was to use the city's rubble as barriers to channel the Sky Pirates into funnel zones where the Aeropan Commandos could then use their dark eco blasts to kill them. They would essentially employ a “Defence in Depth” strategy. The Sky Pirate army at Aeropa City numbered 600 Pirates and 7 Airships. Due to Aeropa’s long-range sensor array, only Sky Raider airships could make it past and assist the Sky Pirates in their assault on the city. Despite having total air superiority, Skyheed’s weapons control system stopped Jak and the Pirates from using weapons during the siege. Therefore, the Sky Pirate’s plan was for Jak and Keira to disable the weapons control system and long-range sensors to allow the Pirates to use their weapons and allow the Phantom Blade to arrive at the city with reinforcements.
What happened?
As the Sky Pirates arrived in Aeropa City through the Warp Gate at the Aeropan Barracks, they advanced down to the central courtyard, only to become pinned down by entrenched Aeropan Commandos. Subsequently, a Sky Raider Airship was called in to kill the Aeropan Commandos and destroy a wall in the corner of the courtyard. At the same time, Jak navigated his way through the Dark Eco Silos and made his way to the control room, where he destroyed the weapon lock machine, allowing the Pirates to use their weapons again. With their weapons reactivated, the Sky Pirates began to turn the tide of battle. While Aeropan Commandos attempted to make a stand in front of the Palace, they were overwhelmed by the superior number of Pirates. Despite a warning from Phoenix over the communicator, Jak was ambushed by a Hyper Mutant while on his way to the Palace. However, after a short fight, the Hyper Mutant was killed, and at the Palace, Duke Skyheed killed Chancellor Ruskin after he revealed to him that he allowed the Sky Pirates into the city. Skyheed then transformed into a Dark Monster, only to be defeated by Jak in the ensuing fight.
What changed as a result?
The Siege of Aeropa City was a Sky Pirate victory. However, despite the capture of Aeropa City, Skyheed managed to escape in an Aeropan Heavy Fighter, and after a fruitless chase by Jak, Skyheed retreated to the ACS Behemoth and headed for the Eco Core, where he planned to absorb its energy and conquer the planet. However, before he could complete this, Phoenix used the Phantom Blade to interrupt the eco stream and weaken the ACS Behemoth, sacrificing his life in the process. With the ACS Behemoth vulnerable, Jak used a new light eco beam Keira had attached to the Hellcat IV to destroy the Aeropan airship and restore balance to the eco core, thereby ending the Eco Shortage Crisis.
Bibliography
Birlew, Dan. Jak and Daxter: The Lost Frontier Official Strategy Guide. Indianapolis, Brady Games, 2009.
High Impact Games. Jak and Daxter: The Lost Frontier. Sony Computer Entertainment. PlayStation 2. 2009.
Jak Himself. “Aeropa map.” Jak and Daxter Wiki. Accessed October 11, 2023. www.jakanddaxter.fandom.com/wiki/Aeropa?file=Aeropa_map.png